Top 5 DIY Residential Plumbing Mistakes to Avoid

Sometimes, DIY residential plumbing repairs can save you money. However, there are times when DIY plumbing projects end-up costing you more money because of complications or mistakes. Before you gear-up and attempt a plumbing DIY repair job, it will help if you know the most common mistakes home owners make so you can avoid them.

Here are the top 5 DIY residential plumbing mistakes to avoid:

5) Unclogging a drain with chemicals – the most common plumbing problem has to be a clogged drain. It is actually easy to avoid this problem by simply not pouring anything like oil, grease, and food down the drain, these build up over time and will obstruct the flow of water.

Because liquid drain cleaners are readily available, most people use these to unclog their drains. However, what most people are not aware of is that using chemicals damage galvanized pipes and can result is rust build up that can not only contribute to a clog drain, but lead to corroded pipes and leaks. Professional plumbers use effective and safer means to unclog drains that won’t harm your plumbing.

4) Leaking and burst pipes – as soon as a leaking or a burst pipe is discovered, you should call a professional plumber because water damage can cause serious damage to a home. One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to fix a leaking or burst pipe is not turning off the main water valve and calling a professional plumber. While there are plumbing tapes that can stop simple leaks, these are only temporary fixes until the plumber arrives.

3) Connecting galvanized and copper pipes – most people do not realize that directly combining galvanized and copper pipes together will result in expedited corrosion. Plumbers are trained to use a special joint that consists of a plastic sleeve and a rubber washer to prevent the two metals from touching.

2) Attempting DIY plumbing repairs without proper training – while plumbing may seem straight forward and simple, most of the tools used are specialized and training is required to use them safely. Most DIY plumbing problems happen because the wrong tools are used without training, which commonly results in further damage to a home’s plumbing system.

1) Performing DIY plumbing work without a permit – conducting certain plumbing work could be considered major changes – according to building codes, and could not only result in fines if a permit is not obtained, but it can also become for a home and be the cause of problems in the future, if not done right. For this reason, it is always advised to hire a professional plumber.

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